Shrimps on a Life Raft

This is a great shrimp & bruschetta appetizer! The beauty of this one is, it can be made up to a day in advance and then just toasted before serving without any loss in flavor.

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Cooked small shrimp (71-90 count)	18 pieces (3 per serving	Defrosted
Red Bell Pepper	1/3 cup	Diced
Onion (yellow/white)	1/3 cup	Diced
Garlic	1/3 cup	Diced
Goat Cheese	To sprinkle	Crumbled
Cherry Tomatoes	1/2 cup	Halved
Pasta/Tomato sauce	1/2 cup	Try a Sweet Peppers sauce if you can find one
Olive oil	1/4 cup
Bruschetta	6 1-inch thick slices
Fresh ground pepper	To taste
Oregano	To taste

Method:

1. Line serving dish with aluminium foil.
2. Brush or gently dip bread slices in olive oil, and lay them in the serving dish, oily side up.
3. Heat oil in a small saucepan on Med-High.
4. Add onions and garlic. Fry & stir till the onions start to look clear.
5. Add shrimp, red peppers, tomatoes and pepper. Fry & stir for ~2 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato sauce and oregano, and cover.
7. After 5-10 minutes, when the sauce becomes thick, remove from oven and spoon over bread.
8. Sprinkle goat cheese over generously.
9. Cover & refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.
10. Before serving, preheat toaster oven to 450 F / 230 C.
11. Pick up the bruschetta using the foil and place in oven.
12. Once cheese starts to brown, remove and serve!

Makes 6 servings.

Serving suggestions: None

Variations:

1. Try using different cheeses, like feta.
2. Spread over flatbread to make a pizza!
3. Stuff in a hollowed-out dinner roll.
4. Try ranch sauce instead of the pasta sauce.

Apple/Pomegranate Salad

This one is my own creation, based on several other salad recipes I've made and tried. Great when served with other entrees, or as part of a multi-course meal as a palate cleanser.

It's a very feel as you go recipe, so take the quantity suggestions very loosely (double or halve as you like).

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Mixed Greens	1/2 lbs	I like a blend of baby spinach, romaine, etc.
Pomegranate Seeds	1/2 cup	Yes, you have to take the seeds out by hand and its not hard
Small Apple	1 piece	Chopped to look like 1 inch fries
Goat Cheese	2 tbs	Crumbled
Cherry Tomatoes	1/2 cup	Halved
Olives	1/2 cup	Sliced, whole, halved, or blend
Fresh Cilantro Leaves	1 tbs	Optional

Method:

1. In a big bowl, add the greens. Shake the bowl a bit to let the greens settle.
2. Spread the tomatoes, olives, and apple.
3. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Add more if necessary
4. Sprinkle with goat cheese. It should look like a green field with a little dusting of snow!
5. Spread the Cilantro leaves around.
6. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes ~4 regular-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with salad dressing (Vinaigrettes work best), extra pomegranate seeds and goat cheese sprinkles on the side.

Variations:

1. Sprinkle slivered almonds for a little more crunch.
2. Use feta cheese instead of goat cheese.
3. Diced red/yellow peppers add more color to the salad.

I'll attempt my own salad dressings soon enough, and will provide a link on this post.

Spiced Split-Pea Soup

I picked up this recipe on a fitness forum. Great winter soup: high in protein, high in fiber, low in fat. Not so spicy that it'll burn your tongue, but will leave you with a warm feeling inside!

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Split Peas	1 cup	Rinsed & Sorted
Ginger	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Garlic	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 tsp
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Cilantro	1 tsp	Chopped
Small Green Chilli	1 piece	Chopped & deseeded
Salt & Pepper	To taste
Lime	1 piece	Quartered

Method:

1. Rinse and sort the split peas in a bowl.
2. Put 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and set to boil on high.
3. When the water boils, add the chicken stock cube, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder & turmeric to the split peas.
4. Once the mixture starts boiling again, lower the heat to simmer (I do between gas mark 2-3) and cover.
5. Let it boil for about 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how firm you like your split peas (30 for al dente, 45 for mushy). Stir it every 10 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't dry out. If its getting too dry, add some hot water.
6. Once the split peas become mushy, add the chopped cilantro, green chilli, salt and pepper. Stir & let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3). The soup is now ready!

Makes 3 regular-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro, and crusty sliced bread on the side.

Variations:

1. Use half a chicken stock cube for more flavor.
2. Use red lentils instead of split peas. You should only need to boil lentils for 15 minutes and it has almost the same nutritional values.

Here's a close approximation of the nutrition information:

Calories	216
Fat	0g
Carbohydrates	36g
Fiber	20g
Sugar	0g
Protein	18g